Three Small Words
by Fatiguesdualism
Summary: Isn't it amazing how three small words can change a relationship? An alternative ending to Mass Effect 2. Featuring Shepard, Miranda and Jack. Rated M for language (swearing) and because it's my first piece so I'm erring on the side of caution.


Three Little Words

It was almost like dying again Shepard's chest was heaving, trying desperately to claw enough air into his lungs. The heat and humidity of the collector base would be uncomfortable under normal circumstances in combat it was nigh-unbearable. A quick glance at his two squad mates showed that at least he wasn't alone in his suffering; Jack was hunched over with her hands on her knees gasping at the too warm air whilst Miranda was leaning against an inactive console doing the same. Shepard felt his eyes linger for a second, and then glanced back at the destruction that marked their progress. Scattered across the platforms was the remains of the company sized swarm of Collector Drones that had tried to ambush them shortly after leaving Garrus Vakarian and the rest of the team to hold their exit route. Combat grade biotics where deadly and Shepard had brought two of the most powerful he had ever known with him, after telling them explicitly not to hold back. The charnel-house that had resulted really didn't surprise him, but the fact that most of it had been caused by the two women before him and not a platoon of Alliance Marines did unsettle him. With a grimace at the purely mental slap to the back of his head, Shepard moved over to the single still active console, he would have to deal with his 'chivalrous tendencies' if they survived. It took EDI's translation programme a second to analyze the console in front of Shepard and display its interpretation onto the commander's visor. His finger stabbed onto the hieroglyph that corresponded with his destination and the platform lurched into motion.

"What the fuck Shepard?" Jack demanded from her hands and knees on the ground. "You could have warned us before you sent this thing flying again."

Miranda's cool "Agreed," was probably not as superior as she had intended, considering the fact she'd just been knocked onto her backside. But the glare she directed at him conveyed her annoyance well enough to quash his impulse to help her back to her feet.

He smirked at them. "Sorry, I though you where a pair of bad-asses. Not porcelain dolls that break if you jostle them."

Jack flipped him the bird and muttered, "Dickhead."

Miranda's response was silent but probably an internal mental echo of Jack's sentiment. Shepard believed he was getting good at interpreting those stares. Then she blinked and the edges of her mouth curved upwards into a smile.

Shepard started to wonder just which of his ancestors had been a canary and how it had ever managed to get away from that cat.

"That is your rifle. There are many like it, but that one is yours. Your rifle, without you, is useless. Without your rifle, you are useless." Then she pointed at Shepard's hands.

He looked down at the rifle in question and swore, he remembered the gun twisting in his hands in the last seconds of the fire fight but he had corrected and sent a final lethal burst into a drone that had managed to flank Jack. So he had hoped the damage was superficial. It wasn't. The Collectors rounds had penetrated the frame and punctured the heat sink causing the coolant to leak down into the internal workings ruining them.

Miranda's smile grew at Shepard's dismay. "What are you going to use now, harsh language?"

"Shit," Jack chimed in "I don't think he knows enough!"

Shepard's glare at the two women didn't faze either the Cerberus agent or the tattooed convict, so instead he settled for slinging the rifle onto its mount and drew his sidearm. He regretted he had left his shotgun behind with Yeoman Kelly as Jacob led her and the other abducted crew members back to the Normandy. He hoped that she didn't need to use it. A clear chime from his in-ear communicator drew his attention away from the two smirking women and he reached up to his ear to tap the memory plastic bead nestled there.

EDI's calm voice spoke over the private com-channel. "Commander you are approaching the convergence point of the pipes carrying the colonist's genetic material. However the Normandy's sensors have been unable to ascertain just what exactly the Collectors are doing with it. I am detecting both organic and non-organic energy signatures emanating from the chamber."

"Thanks EDI, are you detecting any Collectors in there?"

"There are currently a dozen individuals in the chamber converging at your access point; however I have sealed all other avenues of entry and Citizen Vakarian has reported that no Collectors have made it past his holding force. That dozen are all that can attempt to stop you." The AI paused then added. "Jeff has stated that you would also be relieved to learn that Operative Taylor has returned safely with all of the abducted crew."

"Good to know EDI, Shepard out." With that the AI closed the channel and Shepard turned to face the two waiting biotics. "EDI says there's only about a dozen Collectors in the chamber and they're probably going to try and jump us as we enter, so set up." Jack grinned and strolled over to one of the damaged consoles, Miranda stepped closer to Shepard.

"And what else?" She asked softly.

"Jacob and the others made it back safely, no losses." He told her.

She stared at him for a second then smiled and gently touched the side of his face. "Good, did you know you're much better looking when you're not worrying about everyone?"

"Crap," Jack snarled "If I destroy this base on my fuckin' own do I get a bonus?"

With an exasperated eye-roll Miranda stepped away and moved to cover the platform side opposite to Jack, who laughed and went back to readying her Geth shotgun. Shepard checked over his own weapon, the Alliance Phalanx pistol had a more powerful punch than the standard issue Predator and the recoil wasn't as excessive as that from the Carnifex. All things considered it was a good pistol Shepard just wished it wasn't the only gun he had left. Putting aside his misgivings Shepard looked ahead to the platform's destination and saw the large doors open, the chamber beyond them was vast. It stretched in front of them for nearly half a kilometre unobstructed, bar for a single column that supported what appeared to be a Prothean beacon. A half dozen platforms, similar to the one which the humans stood on, where nestled around the top. Lining the sides of the cavern the humans could see thousands if not millions of pods identical to those which had held the abductees and snaking down between them where the pipes which had transported the remains of those dissolved colonists. But these pods all stood dark and empty and the piping vanished into what appeared to be a fog bank that rolled uniformly some forty metres below them. Scattered around the walls where remnants of walkways that had long since been transformed into a series of ledges by collapses.

The Collector drones rushed them soon after the platform entered the cavernous chamber. Two dropped down onto the platform to Shepard's left, but had made the mistake of landing close together and a single blast from Jack's shotgun immolated them.

A trio hovered like locusts above the platform and opened fire with their assault rifles, the rounds hammering down into the chitin-like surface of the platform and causing Shepard's shields to flare as he rolled to evade. With a now familiar gesture Miranda activated her biotic implants and the three where pulled into a helpless tangle by the gravity from her created mass effect field. A long sustained burst from her SMG followed and when Miranda lowered her arm, disengaging her implants, their corpses fell from sight. Shepard's roll had left him in a crouch and facing a drone that had flown up from beneath the platform. The situation was so similar to an old Alliance range drill that the double-tap he fired into the drone's head was almost habitual. Rising off his knee Shepard's gaze swept around looking for more threats.

Jack's shotgun barked again and a drone swooped desperately to avoid the charged plasma rounds. Jack's cry of "Little fucker!" and an obscene gesture signalled the trigger of her biotics which caught the aerobatic drone and threw it into one of the consoles that dotted the platform. Another blast from her shotgun followed and fused the shattered remnants of console and drone into slag.

On the other side of the platform Miranda engaged a drone that had managed to land whilst she had dealt with the hovering trio. Her sub-machine gun spat out only a couple of rounds before it locked open and ejected the overwhelmed heat sink. Without hesitation she used her biotics, this time however the created mass effect field lasted only a fraction of a second. But its short-lived gravity yanked the drone away from her and off the edge of the platform. The drone tumbled for a second before righting itself and flying back to the platform, its rifle firing. Miranda moved to cover behind a chitin column, inserted a new heat sink into her weapon and calmly stated "I'm pinned".

Miranda's call over the com-net and the sound of Collector rifle fire claimed Shepard's attention. He took a step to his left to gain a better position aimed and fired. The thick chitin chest armour that had defeated Miranda's lighter rounds was just as effective against the more powerful rounds of the Phalanx and the drone continued its approach. Taking another step that brought him closer to the edge of the platform, Shepard adjusted his aim and fired again. This time though the rounds tore through the drone's neck and head, killing it.

The final four drones attacked as one group, covering their approach with disciplined fire that forced the three humans into cover. As they landed one of them convulsed and a biotic aura sprung up around it. Shepard took advantage of the sudden lull in the drones' attack to break cover and shoot. His first shot was wild; hitting nothing. His second tore through the leg of one of the still firing drones, and it collapsed to the deck. The third and fourth where stopped dead by the biotic barrier surrounding the convulsing drone, which straightened and with a throwing gesture sent a small sphere of super compressed matter drifting back towards the commander. Shepard recalled the last time he had been hit by one of those spheres, the ensuring three week-long stay in the med-bay had nearly driven him and Doctor Chakwas insane. Avoiding a repeat of that incident was high on his 'To Do List' so the human swiftly ducked back behind his console.

The biotic drone's eyes flared and Shepard's ear-piece picked up a new signal. "If I must tear you apart, Shepard, I will," the drone's voice threatened. Jack's shotgun barked a response but the suppressing fire from one of the drones threw off the tattooed convict's aim and she missed. "Overwhelm them," the verbose drone ordered its minions then threw another compressed matter sphere at Shepard. "The forces of the universes bend to me," it taunted.

The console Shepard was hiding behind crumpled with the impact. "Miri," he could picture the annoyed grimace she would be directing at him over the use of _that_ name over the squad com net, "get their attention. Jack hit our friend the mouthy general."

Keeping herself in cover Miranda blindly raked her SMG fire across the three drones. Instantly the two remaining drones returned fire, their bullets chewing away at the dark haired woman's shelter and driving her back. But as soon as the drones had shifted their attack Jack broke cover and opened fire with her shotgun. The first shot would only have clipped her target, and the General's biotic barrier deflected it further, causing the attack to thud into the remnants of Shepard's console and set it alight. The second was more accurate and suddenly one of the General's arms was ablaze. The following rounds failed to hit as - ignoring the flames - the General generated a new biotic field to protect itself. However despite stopping the physical impact the biotic field couldn't block the heat from the rounds and the General erupted into flame.

Whilst Jack attacked the General, Shepard engaged the two drones shooting at Miranda. Two to the head took care of the first but even as he switched target the second whirled, inhumanly swift, and fired. Shepard's shields flared as they deflected the first few rifle rounds, then they where overwhelmed and his breath left him in a pained exhale at the hammer-like blows from the bullets hitting his armour. Shepard collapsed, as a burst from Miranda's weapon decapitated his assailant. Then a nightmarish creature loomed above him; the General wreathed in flame and the dull orange glow from its biotics. "Pain is an illusion," it taunted, Shepard disagreed but could only wheeze.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Jack screamed as she triggered her implants and what looked like a heat haze ripped through the air between her and the General. When the distortion collided with the burning drone it was thrown away from prone commander and driven into the nearby burning, crumpled console. The tangled remains looked as though they had been run over by a truck, a very large truck that was ignoring the speed limit. Then Miranda was kneeling next to him, her omni-tool already activated to run a medical scan on him, asking where he was hit. She ignored his protests until her omni-tool chirped as its scan finished, and the analysis proved him right.

"You _arse_," she whispered against his lips, "I thought I'd lost you." Shepard smiled and kissed her back, Miranda made a small pleased sound before she pulled away. Placing a hand on his chest to prevent him from following her she tried to frown down at him, "I was worried and … and stop smiling damn it!"

Jack walked over, looking at the empty heat sink socket on her shotgun. "I'm out of clips," she stated, "if Shepard's dead I call dibs on his, oh and any snacks too. I'm starting to feel hungry after pulling that bubble stunt then all thi…" then she caught sight of the grinning couple stopped and snarled, "Crap, can't you two keep your fuckin' hands off each other for more than five minutes?" The entwined couple separated as Jack scowled at them and climbed back to their feet. Jack tossed Shepard's sidearm back to him and left her hand outstretched, "C'mon Shepard make with the clips."

Shepard quickly checked over the weapon and placed it back in its holster. Then he counted out the final couple of thermal clips on his gun-belt and split them with the tattooed biotic, "That's it, unless Miranda has any." The dark-haired women next to him gave a small shake of her head, causing Jack to snap another curse and stalk away. Shepard hurried after her, "Hold on Jack, I think I've got an energy bar left …"

The noise of an assault rifle firing and the ugly sound of bullets punching through human flesh interrupted him. Without a single conscious thought Shepard found his pistol back in his hand as he whirled back to check on Miranda, who had raised her own weapon to her shoulder and was scanning the platform for the shooter. A choked, bubbly laugh sounded behind him "_I_ get fucking shot and your first concern is the Cheerleader?" Jack rasped. Shepard turned back towards the biotic in time to see her collapse, revealing the prone form of her assailant, a drone with a bullet wound to its right leg that had forced it to crawl until it had finally been able to attack. Shepard fired, sending round after round to tear and rip through the drone he had forgotten, the one he had only wounded, the one that had beaten him and killed a member of his team, his friend. The pistol locked open to vent the overwhelmed weapon's heat sink and the only thing that stopped him from attacking the shredded remains with his bare hands was the realisation that Jack might still be alive. Miranda was already there omni-tool activated and running a medical scan.

"She's suffered extensive internal injuries Shepard," she told him. "We could stabilise her with medi-gel, but if we move her without a stretcher it won't hold, she'd bleed out before we made it back to the Normandy. I know you don't want to hear it but it might be kinder to let her … go." Jack made a gurgling noise and her hand twitched into a fist. Shepard knelt with the medi-gel injector from his leg pouch and applied it to the bloody mess that was Jack's torso. With a faint huff Miranda removed an injector from Jack's belt before applying it to the wounded convict's abdomen, "I'm sorry Shepard but I just can't see a way to get her back to the ship. I know it sounds cold, even cruel maybe, but we can't save her!"

"I'll think of something Miri. I've stopped leaving friends behind to die, the price is more than I can afford anymore." The platform finally arrived at its destination rocking Shepard and Miranda, both of them instinctively raised an arm to brace the other and sharing a small quick smile at the twinned thought. "Now let's see about getting home." Shepard climbed back to his feet and walked off towards the alien beacon that stood alone on the single pedestal they had travelled to.

"Nice try precious," Jack paused to breathe, "but if you want to, kill me. Looks like…you'll have to, do it…yourself." Jack's usual barked laugh was strangled and left the tattooed convict struggling for air.

Miranda waited for the younger woman's eyes to focus on her again. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Shepard standing in front of a display that was full of the alien hieroglyphs that the Collectors used in their technology, talking on a private channel with EDI. The brunette talked swiftly and softly to the injured woman. "You _are_ going to die here Jack. Shepard's reacting emotionally, because he knows that but he hasn't accepted it yet. So he'll try and he'll struggle and put himself into harms way, just to avoid having to acknowledge that fact. It's noble in a way that drive he has to improve things, his belief that with a bit more effort he can change things for the better." The Cerberus agent shifted slightly and opened her omni-tool, "I'm sorry, genuinely sorry, but there is no way that he can save you." The brunette's fingers danced over the omni-tool's holograph briefly, "I've just transferred to your omni-tool a programme that will destabilise the medi-gel that's keeping you alive, it will also supply a large dosage of pain suppressant medication so you won't feel anything. _Please Jack_ use it, don't get Shepard killed trying to save you. Do what's right save _him_, from himself Jack _please_."

Jack's eyes bored into those of the Cerberus agent but the usual hate and contempt Miranda was so familiar to seeing there was absent, it had been replaced with something new. Not sympathy or empathy, but bewilderment perhaps. As if the younger women had been surprised at how pitiful Miranda sounded _begging_ _her_ to save the Commander, instead of ruthlessly and coldly removing an obstacle that impeded the goals of Cerberus. The moment passed. "Shit, get outta…my space," the words where leaden, no fire burned behind them to propel them as weapons. They where possibly the softest words that Jack had ever said to the brunette crouched before her, "Need to think."

Miranda rose and left the wounded woman, moving towards Shepard and the beacon that had claimed the commander's attention. The brunette agent's fingers moving swiftly across her omni-tool's display then closing it. Shepard's gaze left the alien script that crawled across the surface of the beacon when she moved next to him and spoke. "EDI is trying to establish a connection to the beacon, seems it is completely separate from the base network. Guess it must contain something that they really want hidden." The Commander's eyes moved over towards Jack who remained sitting against a bullet ravaged console on their platform, "Hopefully that won't take too long."

"Shepard about Jack," Miranda pre-empted his response, "please hear me out. Her injuries are just too extensive. Without the medi-gel she would already be dead, as it is she's still dying just more slowly. I'm not entirely sure the medi-gel we have left will be enough to save her, especially if we have to carry her out of here." She reached out and clasped Shepard's hand, "I know that we have to try, and we will, but I thought that you should know the truth. I'm sorry." The Commander's com-piece chimed and Miranda released his hand so he could respond.

Garrus's voice shouted into Shepard's ear. "Shepard, are you just about finished yet? I hate to ask but the locals…" The muffled sound of a filtered explosion sounded over the channel, swiftly followed by a nearly as loud Krogan war cry. The Turian's baritone voice resumed, "…are really getting insistent for your autograph, and I don't think we can stall them for much longer."

Shepard's face twitched into something that was half smile, half snarl. "Garrus you'd tell me if it was really bad wouldn't you?"

The Turian retorted, "Its bad Shepard, Grunt and Legion are the only ones still on their feet. The rest of us…not so much and Tali's, Tali she's, she isn't." Garrus's voice hitched, "It's bad. We either fight our way back to the Normandy soon or we stay, permanently."

"Go, now." Garrus tried to protest but Shepard just talked straight over him, "Go! You've all done what needed to be done and I'm going to need the Normandy mobile, so move Vakarian!" The Commander tapped his com-piece and closed the link, then tapped it again to open a new channel. "EDI tell me you can access this beacon already!"

The AI responded in her usual cool and even voice, "I am sorry Shepard but I have only gained access to their archived data, it appears that any command level functions cannot be activated remotely. It appears that an individual must instead manually enter system commands using the interface before you."

"Fantastic," Shepard muttered. "Alright EDI, we need someway to destroy this station that doesn't involve all of us dying, any suggestions?"

"A moment please Shepard searching through the volume of data contained within the beacon archive is impeding my run-time processors." The Normandy's AI was silent for nearly a minute, and Shepard started to grow more than a little concerned. EDI was housed in arguable the most advanced computer developed by _any_ of the Council races, capable of performing a such a large number of calculations in picoseconds that Shepard didn't even know the _name_ of that number. Finally she responded, "Using the controls in front of you, it may be possible to induce a fatal failure of the station's reactor coolant system. The resulting uncontrollable thermal reaction would be sufficient to ensure the station's destruction."

Shepard frowned at the ceiling, "In laymen's terms that translates as 'blow up the reactor' right? As plans go EDI I think that one is more of a Grunt effort, and not really at your usual level of elegance."

Miranda interjected. "EDI is right, if you can sabotage the coolant flow correctly then even when the Collectors retake control they wouldn't be able to halt the process and the time it would take for the heat to build should be enough for us to return to the Normandy and escape. Nor would they be able to just jettison or power down the reactor either, it's providing the mass effect field that defends the station from all the debris out there and the gravity from black hole we are orbiting. No field and the station will either be pulverised by debris impacts, ripped apart by the extreme gravity or quite likely both."

Shepard straightened, "Right we have a plan. EDI talk me through blowing up the reactor, Miri check on Jack and get her ready to move."

Miranda paused for a second before speaking swiftly on her communicator. "EDI what if we trigger a purge of the reactor's particle sinks, after disabling the usual safety locks?"

"Miri what are you doing?"

"That course of action would result in a lethal radiation pulse, Operative Lawson, which whilst destroying any organic matter onboard, or in close proximity, to the station would leave it structurally intact. However the statistical likelihood of yourself and the Commander returning to the Normandy, whilst carrying injured Specialist Jack, and then escaping to a safe distance can only be classified as remote."

Miranda's blue eyes searched Shepard's face as she asked, "Would leaving Jack behind greatly improve our chances?"

"Miri!"

"Correct, Operative Lawson, an unimpaired shore party would have a substantially greater chance of successfully reaching the Normandy and escaping the radiation pulse." The AI stated, "I believe Commander Shepard was looking for a plan which minimised friendly casualties and resulted in the physical destruction of this station, however. This is why I did not present that scenario."

"You're right EDI, I'm glad that at least one of you understood me." Shepard spoke angrily, "I've already told you Miri, I'm not leaving friends behind to die again!"

Miranda voice was gentle, "Shepard, Jack will most likely die whilst we carry her back to the Normandy." Shepard moved to protest and Miranda hurriedly asked, "EDI what is the statistical likelihood that Jack will die from her injuries before we get her back to the ship?"

"EDI don't answer that," Shepard's voice barked.

The brunette's blue eyes implored the angry Commander, "Shepard who knows what information is stored here. The reason behind the Collector abductions, advanced technologies, even data about the Reapers that could help us. It's too much to throw it all away to save just one person. The secrets hidden here could save everyone in the galaxy from the Reaper imposed cycle of extinctions that has consumed it, could save species that have yet to even attain sentience from that fate. Tell me that saving Jack is more important than that tell me you wouldn't sacrifice _anything_ to stop the Reapers."

Shepard's anger roared out, "I'm not trying to stop the Reapers. I'm trying to save us from the Reapers and I won't sacrifice what I am trying to save." His voice dropped, hoarser now, "We do what is right Miri, always, even if doing so will doom us. Otherwise we'll become some tortured, butchered mockery of ourselves. Humanity doesn't deserve to become a monster believing that the ends justify the means."

"Monster," the word was little more than a breath, not even audible to the Cerberus agent who felt it brush past her lips as it escaped.

"Commander, Operative Lawson." The AI's cool voice hid any surprise it may have felt at the twinned, snapped, response from the two humans. "The Collectors have regained access to this chamber and I am tracking over two hundred individuals approaching, swiftly. The window of opportunity for a successful outcome to our mission is closing."

"Miranda go and fetch Jack," Shepard turned back to the beacon, "EDI talk me through…"

"Shepard, wait please." Miranda pulled Shepard back to face her, and he was surprised to see tears shimmering in those blue eyes. Her hand rose up to the side of his face as she placed a brief kiss, "I'm sorry."

"It's allrigh…"

The Cerberus agent triggered her omni-tool. The electrical discharge designed to overload modern protective shielding also acted as a taser when the victim was unshielded. In this case her hand was too close for the shields in Shepard's armour to react and several hundred volts surged through him robbing him of voluntary muscle control and sending the Commander straight to the deck. The brunette crouched next to him, "I'm sorry, the information is just too important. _Shepard, please_ _understand_ that I can't let it be destroyed. I'm sorry." she rose and moved away. "EDI we need to override the reactor's safety locks."

Shepard lay on the deck, helpless to fight against the tremors caused by Miranda's act, and felt the drool threatening to spill from the side of his mouth. His eyes searched and found Jack, still propped against her console. The younger woman's face was bone white, the only colour that remained was the dark depths of her eyes, which had taken on the distant stare that Shepard had seen too many times, on the faces of too many people. The old familiar anger surged up, and was trapped in the cage of his unresponsive body denied even a voice. Shepard kept his gaze locked on Jack, hoping desperately that some how she knew he was there, that she wasn't alone when that final darkness came. Then he noticed her mouth moving, repeating a phrase over and over, and Shepard wondered if it was a prayer, an absolution or even a final curse flung at the world. He focused on reading her lips, and with comprehension the anger flared into a fury that burned through him.

"Bitch…poisoned…me…"

Shepard's rage tore through his memories of Miranda; everything was questioned, pinned and dissected. Every single moment was torn apart looking for signs of falsehood or duplicity, every word weighed, every action judged and even every kiss was suspect. Through it all one small shard insisted that Miranda did love him and when the rage tempered down, miraculously, that shard however stained and discoloured remained. Shepard looked back over to Jack but she had gone, her eyes now fixed staring far beyond the world in front of them whilst her mouth hung open, those three words no longer needing the lips that had shaped them. He tested his limbs, the spasms had not yet fully abated, but they moved under his control. So Shepard fought his way off the deck up onto his hands and knees.

Miranda's hands gripped his shoulders and she helped him stand. "The particle sinks are being purged," she told Shepard as she moved and her shoulder slipped under his arm to support him, "we need to leave." The two humans moved around the beacon, pausing only when a spasm threatened Shepard's footing, towards another platform. Shepard tried to halt, protesting, but Miranda kept the two of them moving only leaving his side when they where both upon the platform.

The Commander watched as the brunette Cerberus agent moved over to a console, watched as she leaned forward to read the display, watched as she softly murmured to EDI over a com-link. The Commander watched as Miranda did this and Shepard wondered whether he was watching a threat or if he was watching over the woman he loved. The platform lurched and started to move away from the beacon, and Shepard's question was growled, "Forgetting someone?"

Miranda froze for an instant, a breath, as adrenaline flooded her. "We," her mouth was dry she needed to start again, "we don't have time. The radiation pulse would catch us before we could rendezvous with the Normandy, you heard EDI's analysis."

Shepard fought for control, Jack's final words wanting to leap out and attack the woman standing with her back to him. But this wasn't the time or the place for that confrontation Shepard realised, he was too angry and too hurt. He looked away from Miranda and discovered the platform wasn't retracing their original route. "Where are we going?" his voice was still harsh, but the threat from before had gone.

"EDI believes she has found a hangar nearby, as soon as Garrus and the others return they'll take off and rendezvous with us there."

Shepard grunted and the two humans stood in silence and apart as the platform sped away.


End file.
